By Belovederic Charles
“Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence, and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team-mates and customers” – Robin S. SHARMA.
The beautiful quote above best describes the personality of the Presidential candidate of the Labour party during the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, Mr. Peter Obi.
Obi, in no less measure, is an epitome of excellence arising from his unique private and public lifestyle upon untill he served as number one employee of Anambra State as Governor. In his usual own words, if you doubt his credibility and impacts to the good people of Anambra State, “Go and Verify”.
Excellence can not be hidden where it truly exists nor can it be found where it does not exists.
In the altar of Nigeria politics, Mr. Peter OBI has distinguished himself as a true servant of the people. At every events he attends unannounced but yet many struggled to .catch his glimpse like they do when they hear an iota of our Lord Jesus Christ’s presence during His public ministry, but can he be equated to our Messiah, Mbanu, he is a mere mortal and fallible but he has shared a little quality of Jesus Christ by being a leader who lived less for himself and more for others.
At the inauguration of the largest refinery in Africa by Dangote, people showed him love on sighting his presence, what does this show, he is indeed a people’s and servant leader, a leader that people organically followed, not rented crowds, he is loved to be identified with both old and young. In his simplicity he is a man that has deep respect for everyone, very friendly and a relational engineer. No wonder he never join issues or attack back those who call him names during the electioneering campaign but instead he will refer them as his friends and elder brothers with his carefully wise responses.
The climax of his presence at the inauguration was the latest moniker he got for himself from the reverred Ooni of Ife, who did not hide his feelings but keep addressing PO as “The Tsunami”, “The Tsunami Himself”. Just like many others have given PO names, a governor that has the best praise band in Africa once gave him, the hero of our democracy, His Majesty, Oba Enitan Adeyeye OGUNWUSI was also not left out , he felt the impact of this structureless candidate in Nigeria polity and so his christening to Mr. Peter OBI was the best to have captured the personality of the man who shook mercilessly the table of Nigeria polity. Posterity will forever be fair to him for his selfless style of leadership geared towards the yearnings and aspirations of the poor masses and his gospel of transmitting Nigeria from consumption to a production country, if given the privilege of the No. 1 plum job in Nigeria. For him is not a do or die but mere service to salvage the perishing soul of this great nation. Time will tell, for it is in our collective interests or choices that will determine our collective progress as a nation. The sun that will shine and the rain that will fall on us does not know your party affiliations, religion or your ethnic group. It is for all.
I celebrate PO at all times for his uncommon records of positive leadership impacts while in the office and for living out his faith as a true Catholic and also Alhaji Aliko DANGOTE, for that singular boldness to stem the tide of shenanigans around the space of this refining crude oil that gives us AGO, DPK and PMS by giving us a refinery. I salute you Alhaji, na man you be, you have also identified yourself as leader by good name, impacts and not by title.
Please take a bow of honour, you did what a government that promised Nigerians change cannot do.
Congratulations Sir and Insha Allah, you will reap bountifully your rewards and already have etched your name indelibly for honour by siting that full capacity refinery in Nigeria.
To all that will digest this piece, I wish you start living your life as a leader with influence, impacts and not by mere title.
Nigeria will be great again!
